> Aker BP makes oil discovery north of the Boyla field in the North Sea

Aker BP makes oil discovery north of the Boyla field in the North Sea

Friday, Mar 02, 2018

Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 340, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 24/9-12 S and appraisal well 24/9-12 A, which was drilled 850 metres southwest of the discovery well, 24/9-12 S.

The wells were drilled about two kilometres north of the Bøyla field, 26 km southwest of the Alvheim field and 200 km northwest of Stavanger.

The primary exploration target for wildcat well 24/9-12 S was to prove petroleum in reservoir rocks (injectites) in the Eocene (Intra Hordaland group sandstones). The secondary exploration target was to prove petroleum in underlying Upper Paleocene reservoir rocks (the Hermod formation). The objective of well 24/9-12 A was to delineate the discovery, as well as to obtain information regarding the placement of a potential development well.

In the primary exploration target, well 24/9-12 S encountered an oil column of about 10 metres in a 40-metre thick sandstone layer, which is interpreted as being injectites in the Hordaland group with very to extremely good reservoir properties. The oil/water contact was encountered. Three thin, oil-bearing, partially cemented sandstone layers with moderate to good reservoir properties and totalling 5 metres were also encountered higher up in the Hordaland group. The sandstones are interpreted as being remobilised sand from the Heimdal and Hermod formation, which has presumably been injected into the overlying Hordaland group.

In the secondary exploration target, the wildcat well encountered about 50 metres of water-bearing sandstone layers in the underlying Hermod formation, generally with good to very good reservoir properties.

Appraisal well 24/9-12 A encountered an oil column of about 30 metres in reservoir sandstone layers interpreted as being injectites in the Hordaland group with very to extremely good reservoir properties, as in the discovery well. The oil/water contact was not encountered. Higher up in the Hordaland group, four thin gas-bearing sandstone layers totalling five metres and with very good reservoir properties were also encountered.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the size of the discovery is between 5 and 10 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) of recoverable oil. The licensees will consider tying the discovery into the existing infrastructure in the Alvheim area.

The wells were not formation-tested, but extensive data acquisition and sampling have been carried out.

These are the fourth and fifth exploration wells in production licence 340. The licence was awarded in APA 2004.

24/9-12 S was drilled to respective vertical and measured depths of 2251 and 2285 metres below the sea surface and was terminated in the Heimdal formation in the Paleocene. 24/9-12 A was drilled to respective vertical and measured depths of 2162 and 3000 metres below the sea surface, and was terminated in the Hermod formation in the Paleocene.

Water depth is 120 metres. The wells have been permanently plugged and abandoned.

Wells 24/9-12 S and 24/9-12 A were drilled by the Transocean Arctic drilling rig, which will now drill wildcat well 34/2-5 S in production licence 790 in the northern North Sea, where Aker BP ASA is the operator.